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planett-balltailgatetailgatingtalenttalkingtea partyteam sportstechnoratiteenagerstest resultstextingthe artstheaterthinthird gradetime changetimetoplaymag.comtoilet trainingtornadotowelstracktrash talktreestributetrick or treattriviatromboneturkeytwin discriminationuat50ultrasoundunbalanced livesurban legendsvalley girlvideovideo gamesvitaminswacky beauty tipswardrobewarningswashing machinewater bottleweaweightweight liftingwhiningwildlifewrapping paperyellowTwo Times The FunGeneral observations about the joys and sleeplessness that comes from being parents of twin girls.http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Shari)Blogger1409125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-4999729305404333989Wed, 30 Nov 2016 03:36:00 +00002016-12-02T21:37:03.274-06:00organ donationparentingtwinsThe organs are on the way<span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Our girls have a friend whose cousin is very sick. Spencer had cancer as a young child. He develop lung problems as a complication from the life-saving therapies. Spencer once attended the girls' school, so everyone has been involved with fundraising, card writing and more. He doesn't attend the school any more, but it would be hard to tell given how invested everyone has been with his health.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">This evening I saw a Facebook post from Spencer's father. He said they received an organ match. The transport was on the way. Spencer would be in surgery shortly. </span><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">The girls were so excited for Spencer. They couldn't believe that organs matched. For so long the news was so bad that they had a hard time accepting good news.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">Of course, the fact that the lungs were on the way was only good news for one family. I don't think they thought about the entire process. The generosity of one family in the middle of unbelievable grief was about to save Spencer's life. </span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, sans-serif;">We didn't talk about it because I was too tired to start the conversation. Some day they will realize what happened to save Spencer's life. For now, we'll take the good news and celebrate, while still thanking the family who made it possible.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-organs-are-on-way.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-7898376410900104237Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:50:00 +00002016-11-16T11:50:50.843-06:00parentingtwinsA black eye would make things easier<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After some additional conversations with the ENT, our insurance company and many friends, I decided to have my deviated septum fixed. The surgery, November 11, was uneventful -- if you don't count the nearly three hour delay. The finally wheeled me into the operating theater about the same time as I should have been going home if my surgery started on time.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I came home I really felt like I had been through a surgical procedure. I was tired, unsteady and a bit out of it. I slept badly as I adjusted to everything going on from my nasal pain to my anesthesia recovery. It all went as expected, though, with one exception.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought I'd have some bruising on my face. Maybe I'd have a black eye or a random nose bruise. I thought there would be some outward sign of my procedure. I was thrilled that, other than some swelling, you couldn't tell that I had been through surgery.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The girls were great for the first few days, but last night left me wishing that I had some visible bruising. The girls don't understand why I have restricted activities for a few weeks. When they look at me they don't see any changes. As far as they are concerned, I'm all back to normal.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course this isn't true. Surgery is surgery, even if you don't see the work the ENT completed. I do have restricted activities for couple of weeks. The girls might not like it, but they are going to have to pick up more household chores until I get better.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-black-eye-would-make-things-easier.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-8923750301805586397Thu, 03 Nov 2016 18:36:00 +00002016-11-03T17:55:25.093-05:00Chicago CubsparentingtwinsWorld Series#FlytheW<span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The fireworks were going off as I crawled into bed. Daddy woke up and said, "You're kidding?" No one was kidding. The fireworks celebrated the Chicago Cubs first World Series victory in 108 years.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">"You're kidding" could have been everyone's first thought throughout the World Series. The Cubs lost two games at home. They went into Cleveland behind 3-2. They had to win three straight games to win the World Series. </span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Even the local sportscasters started hedging their comments. They went from solid confidence to comments about how young the team was and how there would be other chances. When the Cubs won the first game in Cleveland we were happy that the team delayed Cleveland's party. When the Cubs won Game 6, we started thinking that they might actually win.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">As Chicagoans, there is always this little doubt when it comes to the Cubs. For 108 years fans waited to celebrate, year after year they were disappointed. It just seemed like this would be another disappointment. </span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Right after school the blond twin asked if Erin and Ayanna could come over to watch Game 7. The girls started planning their game party. Pizza, of course, would be the main course. They had Halloween candy and roasted pumpkin seeds for snacks. They rearranged the living room furniture so they could all gather around the television. It's the smaller of our two televisions, but it's the girls television. I invited them to watch in the family room on the bigger television. They declined. It was more about watching in their own space than seeing it on the big screen.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I talked to Grammie before the game started. If my Dad was still alive, November 2 would have been their 59th wedding anniversary. I said it would have been a great anniversary present for Dad. He was one of many Cubs fans who waited his whole life for baseball success. During the World Series run lots of fans wrote notes on Wrigley Field's Waveland Avenue wall&nbsp;about family members who died before they could watch the Cubs play in the World Series. The notes were touching, funny and sweet. I told Mom I wished I could have written a note for Dad.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">About 8:30 p.m., Erin's mom texted to say she was going to pick-up Erin at 9:00 p.m. I texted back that the game was in the 5th inning. I offered to bring Erin home at 10:00 p.m. since the game was moving along so quickly. I was sure it would be over by then. The Cubs were winning 5-3. It was looking good.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Of course, these are the Cubs, so nothing went smoothly. The Indians tied the game in the 8th inning at 6 to 6. When the 9th inning ended in a tie, I told Erin and Ayanna it was time to go home. It was 11:00 p.m. </span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When I walked back into the house the girls were in bed and Daddy was headed there. It started raining in Cleveland. The grounds crew covered the field. Since you never know how long a rain delay will last, Daddy decided it was time to call it a night. </span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">I stayed up a bit to clean up and check work. Before I knew it, the tarp was off and the teams were taking the field. The Cubs were up to bat so I settled in to watch. It sounds impossible now, but I was falling asleep. It was 11:30 p.m. Even the excitement couldn't keep me from drifting off during commercials. When the Cubs took a two run lead, I knew I was going to be up until the end.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">When the game was at the bottom of the 10th with two outs, the ball cracked the bat. Kris Bryant grabbed it and threw it to Anthony Rizzo. Before the ball even got to first base, Bryant was celebrating. I held my breath. These were the Cubs on the precipice of winning the World Series. Surely something would go wrong. Suddenly the Cubs players were celebrating on the pitching mound. The team won after breaking the tie with&nbsp;two runs in the 10th inning, breaking 108 years of disappointment.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The celebratory fireworks woke the blond twin. She said she knew the Cubs would win. The brunette twin said she heard the fireworks, but was too tired to wake up enough to talk to us. Daddy summed up the whole night with his "You're kidding?" What seemed so impossible was now done. The Cubs won the 2016 World Series. It was time to celebrate and #FlytheW.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/11/flythew.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-3831281581764994335Fri, 21 Oct 2016 00:13:00 +00002016-10-31T19:42:01.245-05:00basketballparentingtwinsShe shoots and scores<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The brunette twin's basketball team has been steadily improving. In a short time they have morphed into something resembling a coherent team. Their plays look coordinated and practiced. They cheer each other on like good team mates should.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the beginning of today's game, the brunette twin took the ball put it into the air. The ball arched towards the basketball net and went in. She scored her first two points. We were thrilled. She smiled and ran to her position. She played the rest of the game smiling. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the game she made sure we all saw her score the first two points of her basketball career. She asked about the details since she hardly remembered scoring the basket. In the game's rush, the brunette twin didn't have an opportunity to savor her first two points. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only did the brunette twin score her first points, the team won the game. We celebrated both victories and crossed our fingers that it was the first of many successes.</span><br /><br /><br /><br />http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/10/she-shoots-and-scores.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-4092932309503612204Thu, 20 Oct 2016 00:28:00 +00002016-10-19T19:28:03.893-05:00parentingtrash talktwinsBasketball trash talk Middle School style<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overheard in our car...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brunette Twin:&nbsp; "The coach told us to trash talk the other team to try to get them to miss or distract them."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mom:&nbsp; "Really? What are you supposed to say?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brunette Twin:&nbsp; "Things like your breath smells bad or your shoes aren't pretty. You know, stuff to annoy them"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mom:&nbsp; "What did you say?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Brunette Twin:&nbsp; "Nothing. I couldn't do it. One girl on our team told another girl that she had nice shoes, though. She couldn't do it either."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's clear that our team is missing some kind of competitive spirit. They are having fun, which is good because they clearly don't have a grasp of gamesmanship.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/10/basketball-trash-talk-middle-school.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-7651268414250769533Wed, 19 Oct 2016 00:24:00 +00002016-10-18T19:24:19.822-05:00basketballparentingtwinsYou can't teach tall<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The brunette twin tried out for the 7th grade basketball game. It was the first time she tried for anything. She was so thrilled when she made first cuts. When she made second cuts, she couldn't sleep. She screamed in the morning when she logged and learned she made the team. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the past two weeks it has been all basketball, all the time, in this house. She practices as often as possible. She talks strategy with Daddy. She comes home from basketball practice exhausted and exhilarated.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When she made the team, Daddy said, "Well, you can't teach tall."&nbsp; He explained that they can teach her basketball skills, but they can't make her taller. Given that she was both tall and athletic, she made the team despite her complete lack of basketball knowledge.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first home game today wasn't stellar. The team was overwhelmed by the other team. The visitors had a sharp, organized team. Our girls looked like a team that had only played together for two weeks. Our girls lost big.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, the brunette twin couldn't stop talking about the game. She was giddy that she played in her first basketball game. She talked about what went right and what went wrong. She replayed different parts over and over again. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Luckily for the brunette twin, the blond twin was suddenly a basketball expert. She was happy to tell her twin everything she did wrong and how to fix it. Eventually they settled into a conversation about the game, rather than a listing of the brunette twin's flaws.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The girls went to the basement immediately after finishing their homework to bounce the basketball and talk about tomorrow's game. Today's game was a loss, but they hoped for a win tomorrow.</span> <br /><br /><br /><br />http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/10/you-cant-teach-tall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-4372611500107175541Mon, 03 Oct 2016 18:39:00 +00002016-10-03T13:39:11.396-05:00parentingspell checktwinsSpell check<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Overheard at our house...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mommy:&nbsp; "Girlie, you need to look at your poster. Unique is misspelled."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Brunette Twin: "Really?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mommy: "Yes, you need a "u" after the "q" in unique."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Brunette Twin:&nbsp; "Sissy, how do you spell unique?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blond Twin:&nbsp; "U-n-i-q-u-e." </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mommy:&nbsp; "Really? You don't think I know how to spell unique?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Brunette Twin: "I'm just checking to make sure you're right."</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/10/spell-check.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-1607183786415580780Mon, 03 Oct 2016 01:00:00 +00002016-10-03T13:36:02.143-05:00golfparentingtwinsGolf girls<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The girls and a friend went to a local nine hole golf course to play a round on a nice, Fall afternoon. When they came out, they had lots of stories. My favorite shows that our little girls are growing up, but they still are little girls.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The trio ended up playing between a foursome of high school boys from the local school golf team (at least that's what the clubhouse employee told us when we saw the boys) and another group of boys.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Not surprisingly, the boys noticed the trio. Their friend, Anna, is an adorable 12 year old with a huge smile. Our girls haven't looked their age since they were in single digits. When I tell people they are 13, people stop as if they have to process the information. The brunette twin is 5' 7" while the blonde twin is 5' 5". Between their height and they way they hit the golf ball, it's hard to believe they are only 13 years old.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When the boys asked how old the trio was, Anna replied, "I'm 12." They said, "We're not talking to you." The boys thought our girls were their age. I tried to explain to our girls that the high school boys were flirting with them. It was an awkward way to start a conversation, but the boys just wanted to talk.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The girls were horrified that strange boys wanted to talk to them on the golf course. They just wanted to hang out with their friend and play golf. Despite their grown-up appearance, they are still little girls when it comes to flirting with boys. I only wish it would stay this way. </span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/10/golf-girls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-4871954660187173237Wed, 21 Sep 2016 18:19:00 +00002016-10-03T13:19:46.219-05:00parentingtwinsvegetablesvegetarianMine already has vegetables in it<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The brunette twin really committed to being a vegetarian. She has learned to navigate a menu to find a decent meal no matter where we visit. Her friends support her vegetarian lifestyle without comment.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">At home, though, it's a different story. We still battle with what constitutes a meal. I was standing at the freezer, moving things here and there, talking to Daddy when I said, "We need a vegetable."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The brunette twin quickly responded, "Oh, I don't need a vegetable. The rest of my meal is made of vegetables."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I replied, "Nice try. You cannot just eat one type of vegetable. You need a variety. You are going to eat something besides your vegetarian chicken patty."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She rolled her eyes. We found a vegetable to complement dinner. She ate it, but she wasn't happy about it.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/09/mine-already-has-vegetables-in-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-595995551528465604Fri, 16 Sep 2016 01:55:00 +00002016-09-15T20:55:31.709-05:00birthdayparentingteenagerstwinsTeenagers<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The girls turned 13 today. I can hardly believe it, even as I type the 1 and the 3. The babies we worked so hard to have and wanted so desperately are teenagers. It seems surreal that we are here already.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The big party was held a few weeks ago. Uncle Steve hosted a pool party for the girls' friends and our family. We were a bit worried as it rained all morning. The forecast called for scattered showers throughout the evening. The weather held for the party. The girls invited ten friends for a bar-b-que and night swimming.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Uncle Steve has a resort-like backyard. His large, L-shaped pool has a diving board, slide and basketball net. The girls kept themselves busy, only interacting with us when they needed something grilled. Otherwise they all kept themselves busy doing this or that or the other thing. We sat on the deck watching the Cubs game, listening to music and talking. It was a wonderful party. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We started this morning with waffles to celebrate the big day. The girls went to school and cross country practice. They came home to a quick dinner followed by golf practice for the brunette twin. The blond twin stayed home to hang out with Erin, who shares their birthday.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We ended the day at Grammie's having ice cream and cupcakes. Grammie was still recovering from her shoulder surgery so we brought the party to her. The girls had a few gifts to open before coming home to do homework. It might have been a landmark birthday, but it was still a school night.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One gift had a few pictures from our first night at the hospital. Daddy and I were smiling in every photo. We held a baby in every photo. It seemed like such a long time ago, even as it seemed like just yesterday. I cannot believe that our babies are 13. It has been a magical journey so far. I can't wait to see what the next years bring. </span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/09/teenagers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-7951787188517483424Tue, 13 Sep 2016 17:49:00 +00002016-09-13T12:49:19.913-05:00deviated septumparentingsinustwinsThe answer to my breathing problems<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For years now I have had a hard time breathing. Given the allergist's long list of things I should avoid, I wasn't surprised that it affected my breathing. Add to that the fact that I am a child of smoking's golden age, when all adults smoked all the time, who could be surprised that I had a hard time breathing.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today I went to a new doctor. I decided it was time to see a new specialist shortly after I finished the antibiotics for yet another sinus infection. After a thorough exam, the ENT said, "How long have you had your deviated septum?" I replied, "Huh? My what?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I knew nothing about a deviated septum other than the jokes about women having facial plastic surgery and claiming the bruises were from deviated septum surgery. I came home and immediately started researching. Sinus infections? Trouble breathing? Snoring? Nose bleeds? Facial pain? I have or have had it all. It was as if the Wikipedia entry was written just for me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now I know why these problems have followed me all these years. My problem has a name, which is just the first step. The second step is deciding what to do. I could just live with it. There's no long-term issue with a deviated septum. It doesn't get better; it doesn't get worse. I could have surgery to correct it. It's something I will research once I get over my excitement. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but there was a definite relief feeling when the ENT put a name to my ongoing sinus problems.&nbsp; </span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-answer-to-my-breathing-problems.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-1961905307963394830Fri, 09 Sep 2016 16:04:00 +00002016-09-09T11:04:07.519-05:00parentingskunktwinsA close encounter with a striped neighbor<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I was walking Holly down the block with I saw the black fur with the white stripe. I thought, "How interesting. I rarely see a skunk."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh, we know they are in the neighborhood. Sometimes we get up in the middle of the night to close the windows because the smell permeates every room. Once in a while my eyes tear up when I open them due to whatever floats in the air after a skunk sprays. My eyes burn because it is so strong.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Yet, I kept walking towards the skunk. It dug around in an empty lot across the street from me. Holly kept smelling the grass, never even noticing the skunk. I stared at it like I was staring at a zoo exhibit.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It wasn't until we were directly across the street that I thought, "This is a really stupid idea." Yep, I made it until I was directly across from the skunk before I thought it was a bad idea to walk by the animal. Holly and I picked up speed as we walked away. Luckily for us the skunk didn't spray. It scurried into a drain pipe under an abandoned driveway.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I was a few houses away when I changed our route back. It was raining lightly so I was going to walk back down the block as quickly as possible. Given how lucky we were that the skunk didn't spray the first time we walked by, I wasn't going to that chance twice. I might have been enchanted by the skunk the first time, but I'd like to think that I wasn't dumb enough to do the same thing again.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-close-encounter-with-striped-neighbor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-4283953967536867035Mon, 05 Sep 2016 00:48:00 +00002016-09-04T19:50:26.183-05:00Fighting IlliniLovie SmithparentingtailgatingtwinsA good time at their first tailgate<span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Daddy and I both went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We still follow the team during football and basketball seasons. When the girls were little they had Illini cheerleader outfits, which doubled as Halloween costumes one year.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">It has been a long, long, long time since either of us attended a football game. We've never attended a home game together, despite our many trips to visit family in the area. We did travel to New Orleans and Pasadena to watch the Fighting Illini lose two bowl games, though.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">This year our team somehow, some way managed to hire Lovie Smith as our new coach. It was a shocking hire as the Fighting Illini don't normally reach that high when it comes to head coaches. We've had some good coaches, but a big-name coach? In Illini Orange? We couldn't believe it when the rumors came true.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">A few months ago an email showed up offering $10 tickets for the first home game. We bought four tickets and started planning. Daddy's friends had a regular tailgating spot right near Aunt Debbie's family tailgate. We bought the girls Illini temporary tattoos and Illini t-shirts. We were set.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The girls were awed by the circus surrounding the football game. They attended the pre-game Marching Illini concert. They wandered between tailgate parties. They wore their Illini tattoos on their cheeks. We walked to the Armory to watch the Marching Illini parade into the stadium.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">We spent a lot of time on our walk to and from the Armory talking about college. We passed dorms and class buildings. We walked by Greek houses. They saw students who looked like them and students in crazy clothes. They wanted to know about classes and roommates. We were walking back to the tailgate when they finalized their four-person dorm room plans. </span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">The football game itself was exciting for them, even if they needed to have the rules and strategies explained. They were awed by the male cheerleaders doing push-ups every time the Illini scored, although they questioned why the female cheerleaders didn't do push-ups. They were so excited when the band performed the half-time show. They had more fun than they imagined.</span><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">After the game we went back to tailgate again. We asked the girls if they wanted to come back for another game. They said they wanted to come to the home opener again so they could do all the same stuff. We said, "Girls, they do this stuff every game." They were hooked. We told them that we'd come back to another game soon.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: &quot;verdana&quot; , sans-serif;">Oh, and the Illini won -- and won big. I guess that breaks our streak of bringing bad luck to the team, so we'll be back. </span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-good-time-at-their-first-tailgate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-8415376564411436400Tue, 23 Aug 2016 19:05:00 +00002016-08-23T14:05:53.216-05:00breakfastparentingtwinsThe inmate diet<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Since the girls refuse to eat cereal for breakfast, they tend to eat a lot of toast. Usually they have toast with peanut butter and juice or milk. This morning when I came down, the brunette twin looked lost. She held the peanut butter jar in her hand and said, "It's empty."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I asked if she looked in the pantry or downstairs for more. She said there wasn't any in the pantry and she didn't have time to go downstairs. Instead, she took a slice of bread from the package and put butter on it. She ate that while drinking a glass of water. Yes, she had bread, butter and water for breakfast.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tonight I think we have to have a conversation about acceptable breakfast options. Given all the food in our house, there's no reason for them to eat like prison inmates.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-inmate-diet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-2809954989168403110Fri, 12 Aug 2016 19:36:00 +00002016-08-23T14:36:57.743-05:00DalmatianGreat PyreneesparentingtwinsvacationHolly's first familly vacation<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We had planned to go to Boston this summer, but then we decided we needed to do some house projects. We still wanted to get away for a few days so we started looking for some place within driving distance. We found a cute cabin in Lake Geneva at a reasonable price. We've spent quite a bit of time up there, so we booked it. After a few discussions, we decided to take Holly with us. It was the first time we tried to vacation with her, so no one knew quite how it would turn out.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The drive up to Lake Geneva went well. We stopped at an outlet mall so the girls could do some back to school shopping. About a dozen pairs of shoes later, we headed to Wind Point Lighthouse, perhaps my favorite place to relax. Holly enjoyed both stops. She was happy to be in the car, especially since Holly sat in her usually seat while the blond twin crammed herself into the tiny third row seat near all the luggage.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When we arrived at the cabin, Holly was a little nervous. She's nervous by nature, so we expected her to be nervous in a new place. The owner's dog and Holly played in his backyard for a while before we took her to the cabin.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Holly doesn't like to walk on hardwood floors. She has fur in between her paw pads courtesy of the Great Pyrenees part of her&nbsp; DNA. She slips and slides a lot on hardwood floors. She stood on the entry throw rug until I threw a beach towel on the floor. She moved into the main room, sniffing all the way.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It wasn't long until the girls and Holly settled into their room to watch the Olympics. Holly stretched out on their bed like she owned the place. Since they let her take up most of the bed, it wasn't hard to understand why she thought it was her bed.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Traveling with Holly meant we had to adapt some of our normal routines. She came with us most places, even though this meant one person had to stand outside with her. When we ate at Gordy's, we sat across the street at the picnic tables with Holly. We left her at home to eat at Daddy's Maxwell's. We were four days into the trip when we went to breakfast without her. She wasn't happy, but she was settled enough that she didn't cause any problems.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We only had one problem, which came in the middle of our vacation. One of the most beautiful things to do in Lake Geneva is walk the lake shore path. All around Geneva Lake there is a public access path running in front of the beautiful summer homes. When we were at Gordy's, I decided to walk the lake shore path back to Williams Bay. The sign said it was about two miles. It was a beautiful night. Daddy was taking the girls to the beach. I said we'd meet them all there.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The problem was I forgot to ask Holly if she wanted to walk. Within a few minutes it was clear that Holly was not happy to be separated from Daddy and the girls. She kept trying to pull me up every set of stairs or walkway to get back to them. I kept pulling her back to the shore path, but she wasn't happy. The water lapping on the shore was soothing to me and terrifying to her. Holly spent the entire time with her ears back, jumping every time there was a strange sound. She didn't want to cross the bridges or walk on the path.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She finally got her wish to go back to Daddy and the girls about a mile into our walk. As I looked down to step onto a bridge, she tried to go up the adjacent stairs. I fell, scraping my leg and bruising my forearm. I tried to continue walking, but a few blocks later I called Daddy to come get us. I was really angry. Holly was so happy to see Daddy.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For the rest of the trip she stayed as close to him as possible. She hardly let me hold her leash without getting very nervous.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Overall I'd say our first trip was a success, despite my injuries. I don't know how much traveling Holly will do, though. The Dalmatian part of her personality is a bit too nervous to enjoy her time away from home. </span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/08/hollys-first-familly-vacation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-5757792400106002731Thu, 04 Aug 2016 19:16:00 +00002016-08-23T14:17:18.976-05:00broken bonesparentingshouldertwinsExperience we don't want to use any more<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The phone rang late one evening while we were watching tv. When I answered, the voice said, "Shari, it's Aunt Bonnie. We're at Walgreen's getting your Mom's medicine. We just came back from the hospital. She's going to be ok."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I reminded myself to breathe as I asked her what happened. She explained that Mom fell down Aunt Bonnie's garage stairs. They took Mom to the emergency room. Mom broke her right shoulder. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Immediately, I went back two years to the fall when Mom broke her left collarbone. Let's just say it wasn't so much fun that we wanted to repeat the experience, but we didn't get to vote. We knew exactly what needed to be done.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Within a few minutes I talked to Dave and Steve. We all had our tasks. We all knew what needed to be done. This time, though, it was going to be a bit harder as Mom broke her right hand, her dominate hand. When she broke her left collarbone she could still perform some tasks with her right hand. Now she was unable to do much with her left hand.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She'll adapt quickly, and so will we. I'm crossing my fingers that we're done using this experience, though. Two times is enough.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/08/experience-we-dont-want-to-use-any-more.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-3586413196787248139Wed, 03 Aug 2016 02:37:00 +00002016-08-13T21:37:53.456-05:00bakinghouse rulesparentingtwinsA good rule no matter whose house hosts the sleepover<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Whenever the girls spend the night, I tell them they have to follow the house rules. It might be that the rules are quite different from ours, but "their house, their rules" is what we always say.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Recently the girls spent the night at Aunt Sue-Sue's with Brooke. The next night they all stayed at our house. As I was going to bed, we talked about the house rules.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The girls giggled and said, "And no baking."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It turns out that before she went to bed, Aunt Sue-Sue ended her house rules by saying, "And, no baking."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I don't know what precipitated this rule, but it's a good one. We added it to our house rules too. If nothing else, it makes the girls laugh every time we say it.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-good-rule-no-matter-whose-house-hosts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-9022282276701888165Thu, 28 Jul 2016 02:31:00 +00002016-08-13T21:32:44.069-05:00friendsparentingtwins A one track mind<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Overheard at our house...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blond twin:&nbsp; "Mom, you have to meet Brooke's dad so we can hang out."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mom:&nbsp; "Aunt Sue-Sue's Brooke?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blond twin:&nbsp; "Yeah. We want to hang out but her parents won't let her until you meet them. When we go to Uncle Steve's tonight, please talk to her dad. Ask if we can hang out before school starts."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mom:&nbsp; "You are going spend the night at Aunt Sue-Sue's next week with Brooke."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blond twin:&nbsp; "Yeah, but we want to hang out at our house too."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mom:&nbsp; "I know her dad. I've known him since he was your age. He was one of Uncle Dave's best friends growing up."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blond twin:&nbsp; "What do you mean?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mom:&nbsp; "Why do you think Uncle Dave is Brooke's godfather? Why do you think they are at Uncle Dave and Aunt Sue-Sue's house so often? Did Brooke ask her dad about hanging out here?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blond twin:&nbsp; "No. We didn't think you knew each other because you are so much older than her parents."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mom:&nbsp; "Ok, now you are pushing your luck."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Blond twin:&nbsp; "Since you know her dad, when can we hang out?" </span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-one-track-mind.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-5723429709658086893Sun, 24 Jul 2016 02:17:00 +00002016-08-13T21:22:54.665-05:00parentingtwinsvegetarianOur vegetarian girl<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The brunette twin decided a few months ago that she wanted to become a vegetarian. It wasn't a big surprise as she never ate much meat. There were a few things, like hamburgers and hot dogs, that she would eat so quickly you had to think about whether or not it was ever on her plate. Other things were a struggle. She balked at steak. She tolerated ham. She never considered fish.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She asked one day if she could be vegetarian. I told her it was her choice. She could become vegetarian, but she had to keep dairy products and eggs in her diet. I could work with a vegetarian diet, but vegan was a whole level I wasn't willing to take on.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Slowly but surely we're figuring out how to replace meat with meat substitutes. Some things have been easy. Vegetarianism is so common now that you can find veggie burgers and veggie chicken strips in every grocery store. The first time we looked for these items we went to a specialty store. Once we had a few favorites, we started looking in other grocery stores. From discount grocery stores to mass merchandise retailers, you can find options everywhere.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There have been a few bumps. We have to keep track of her trace elements. We've added a daily multi-vitamin to her morning. We watch to make sure the brunette twin adds some protein to every meal. We try to vary her protein so she's not just eating peanut butter every day.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The hardest part for the brunette twin is eating out. An amusement park trip was hard. She was with her band and wasn't able to go from place to place looking for vegetarian options. She ate, but she was still hungry. Her default meal is a Caesar's salad. It's easy to find, although it's not a truly balanced meal.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As we tell friends and family they are often surprised. Grampa owned a butcher shop. How did his youngest granddaughter decide to eliminate meat from her diet? Sometimes people wonder what they should feed the brunette twin. It's a whole lot easier than it seems at first.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The biggest problem we have is that the brunette twin doesn't like a lot of fruits and vegetables. We keep telling her she can't be a vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables. We encourage her to keep trying new things as she creates her vegetarian life. It's an adventure for all of us as we figure out the best ways to support her choice. </span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/07/our-vegetarian-girl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-9071161768988082584Wed, 20 Jul 2016 16:06:00 +00002016-07-20T11:06:41.514-05:00paperworkparentingtwinsFollow the paper trail<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As the girls get older, it seems like every activity has more and more paperwork. Lately I've had the girls sit at the table to fill out as much as they can. Whenever they complain, I remind them that it's not my job to put pen to paper to fill in the details they already know.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">They know their names, birth date, address, phone number and emergency contact information. They can answer basic questions about their health. They know their pediatrician's phone number. There is no reason they can't be responsible for some of their paperwork.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I tell them that if they are going to be more responsible for their lives, they need to understand how much behind-the-scenes work going into their activities. They are pretty good about it, especially when they point out that the people reading the paperwork will probably be happier that their neat handwriting is on the forms. I would have protested, but they are correct. My handwriting is terrible. If that's what it takes to get them to do the work, I'll take it. </span><br /><br /><br />http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/07/follow-paper-trail.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-8600916004021244218Fri, 15 Jul 2016 20:41:00 +00002016-07-15T15:41:45.456-05:00careersparentingtwinsCan't the men stay home?<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I was driving the blond twin and Erin home from track camp when Erin started talking about her Mom's career change. She explained that her Mom was studying math for hours on end. She paused before saying that her Mom wished that she hadn't quit working when Erin and her sister were born. Or at least she wished that she had gone back to work sooner.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We were talking about how hard it is to have just one income these days. Whether or not one person has a good income, jobs are not as stable as they once were. People end up changing jobs for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We talked about how important it was for the girls to think about what they wanted to do since they needed to plan to work for their whole lives. I said that they might take time off when they have a baby, but they should plan to go back to work.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The blond twin said, "Why can't the men stay home?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I smiled and said, "You are right. The men can stay home too. There's no rule that says the woman has to stay home." We then talked about a friend whose Father stays home with her while her Mom worked. Both her parents worked when she was little and then her Father was downsized out of his job. They made a family decision that he would stay home for a while. Now that their friend is a little older, Dad has gone back to work. He was talking about going back to school to change his career.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The girls talked about all the things they wanted to do with their careers. They talked about how they would stay home with their babies for a while and their husbands could stay home for a while. It was so enlightening to realize that they live in a world where their futures are limited only by their imaginations. I'm not naive about anything. I know it's not as easy as just deciding and making it happen. There will always be obstacles in any plan. The first step, though, is to believe it can happen.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/07/cant-men-stay-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-8896094708158230070Tue, 12 Jul 2016 20:35:00 +00002016-07-12T15:35:03.363-05:00gold fishparentingtwinsRandom acts of fish kindness<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We were sitting at the Sting/Peter Gabriel concert when the blond twin texted me. She said, "I was wondering if I could win a fish and buy a starter tank and I will buy the food and real tank and everything it needs with my allowance money please mom."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I thought for a moment and texted back, "Sure."&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's not that I really thought we needed fish, but these are carnival gold fish. If they lived a year that would be a long time. She really seemed to want the gold fish, so why not?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After the concert we picked up the girls at a friend's house. They arrived at Caroline's house not long before we did. The blond twin was giddy about her new fish. She bounced into the car with two gold fish in plastic bags, a plastic "starter" fish tank and a small container of fish food.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We washed the fish tank and put the two fish into the clean water. She promised to take care of the fish and made plans as she went to bed. She woke up with even more plans.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Later she told us about a girl at the festival who won a fish, promptly opened the bag so the fish fell to the ground and them stepped on the fish. The blond twin was horrified that the girl killed the fish. She said, "I rescued Thor and Loki so no one would be able to kill them."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She even put "rescued Thor and Loki" on her Random Acts of Kindness chart. She takes her actions very seriously.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When she gets on my nerves (oh, and today has been one of those days) I want to remember that sweet, compassionate girl who wanted to save two gold fish. It's that part of her personality that makes us proud of the young adult she's becoming.</span><br /><br />http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/07/random-acts-of-fish-kindness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-5468380366818223099Tue, 12 Jul 2016 01:14:00 +00002016-07-11T20:14:13.327-05:00festivalparentingtwinsThe best $40 we ever spent<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our town has a yearly festival. For $40 you can purchase a mega-band, which allows the wearer to go from ride to ride to ride for the full four days the festival is in town.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Last year we thought about purchasing a mega-band, but never got around to it. This year we purchased them for both girls. The plan was for them to go to with friends by themselves. It was a step towards independence that they were anxious to take. As we planned the outings, the parents sorted the four nights so someone would be on-site. Of course we weren't allowed to be seen with the girls, but someone would be there.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We hosted two sleepovers, so the girls could continue the fun after the festival. There were girls and blankets and things everywhere. The first night I shut down the party early. Two girls were falling asleep as they told me how much they wanted to stay up all night. The next morning the girls woke up ready to have some fun.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The second night I woke up about midnight to a barking dog. The girls decided to watch <i>Life of Pi</i>. Every time Holly saw an animal, she barked.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The girls spent four nights hanging out with friends at the festival. They had a great time going on rides and eating junk food. They reveled in their new independence. Next year we'll drop-off and pick-up without a formal schedule. The girls are already making plans.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-best-40-we-ever-spent.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-1668305865224073128Wed, 06 Jul 2016 01:33:00 +00002016-07-11T20:34:18.100-05:00parentingquiltingtwinsMore than just a cover<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I walked into the brunette twin's room to find her jumping on her bed. At this point we're waiting for her new mattress to be delivered, so her "bed" was just a mattress on the floor. As soon as I saw her, I stopped and stared.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On her bed was the "baby" quilt I made her. I never made a traditional baby quilt. I collected t-shirts from the time they were born until about second grade. I cute the most interesting designs and created a twin sized quilt mapping their baby days to early elementary school. Watching her jumping on it nearly stopped my heart. I actually couldn't speak other than to yell at her to stop jumping. When she stopped I left the room.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A while later when I recovered, I went back to her room. I told both girls that when I made their quilts, I wasn't creating a blanket. I was creating a memory book for them to share with their children. One day I hoped that they would wrap their babies in the quilts and tell them stories about each t-shirt.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The brunette twin seemed sad that she jumped on the quilt, but I'm not sure she really understood my story. She seemed mostly upset that I was upset. Some day I hope they will look at the quilts and realize how much love went into making them. For now I'll settle for keeping the girls from jumping on them. It's a small victory that I hope will preserve the quilts for future generations.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/07/more-than-just-cover.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516296849632138305.post-5679322201799856322Sat, 02 Jul 2016 00:56:00 +00002016-07-11T19:57:28.517-05:00parentingsleepoverstwinsLate nights and lots of laughter<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was 2:30 a.m. when I dragged myself down the stairs into the basement. I found the girls and their friends playing "Beat the Parents" with the music blasting around them. They were laughing so hard they snorted and cried. It was wonderful.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We promised them that they could have lots of sleepovers this summer. They started asking nearly as soon as we came back from Spring Break. It was nearly top of their summer activity list.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">They have been busy with other activities, so sleepovers just rose to the top of the list. The girls and their friends camp out in the basement with their sleeping bags and stuff. They come upstairs when they are hungry or need a bathroom. Otherwise they stay in the basement doing whatever middle school girls do.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">All we know is there is plenty of laughter floating through the vents. It seems that their sleepover plans are as much fun as they had hoped.</span>http://twotimesthefun.blogspot.com/2016/07/late-nights-and-lots-of-laughter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shari)0